In the digital age, pediatricians tweak screen time rules

The American Academy of Pediatrics got some bad news for parents relying on the television or computer to babysit their kids: two hours of screen time may be too much.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is tweaking outdated screen time rules in the age of 24/7 digital media – but it won’t be easy.

CNN reports that group is tweaking outdated screen time rules in the age of 24/7 digital media – but it won’t be easy.

“It doesn’t make sense to make a blanket statement [of two hours] of screen time anymore,” said Dr. Yolanda Reid Chassiakos, lead author of the “Children and Adolescents and Digital Media Technical Report” and assistant professor at UCLA.

There is nothing cute about the toddler at the table next to you playing with mommy’s cell phone.

Babies under 18 months should be kept from all digital devices, the researcher said. “The TV should not be a babysitter,” she said. “It’s much better to talk to a child or read from a book.”

Children 2 to 5 years of age should be limited to one hour a day and older children should have defined restrictions by their parents on screen time, Chassiakos added.